WWE Considering Huge Change For SmackDown?

WWE

With the ongoing media rights negotiations with NBCU and Fox taking place, WWE has revealed they’re open to big changes.

Speaking at the MoffettNathanson’s Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference on Thursday 18 May, WWE CEO Nick Khan provided an insight into the company’s thinking for the media negotiations.

Referring specifically to the positioning of WWE SmackDown, Khan noted that, before landing on Fox, the blue brand show aired on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

When the show debuted in 1999 on USPN, it was on Thursday night and moved to Friday nights in September 2005.

It would hop over to Thursdays again in 2015 before heading to Tuesday nights in 2016.

WWE SmackDown would end up on Friday nights when it moved to Fox in October 2019.

With Nick Khan pointing out that SmackDown can be on “any night of the week”, he feel this makes it an attractive proposition for any channel wanting programming to fit a slot in their schedule.

As for the negotiation process itself, Khan didn’t provide any further details, though F4W Online does note that both NBCU and Fox are out of the “one month exclusive negotiating window”.

Here are results from the May 15 episode of WWE Raw:

Shinsuke Nakamura def. The Miz

It was announced Liv Morgan had suffered an injury and the scheduled Women’s Tag Team Championship match was cancelled

Mustafa Ali won a battle royal to become #1 contender for Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions

Becky Lynch returned and cut a promo on Trish Stratus, challenging her to a match at Night of Champions

Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods

As JD McDonagh left the arena after an interview, there was a tease of Finn Balor scouting him to recruit him for Judgment Day

Indus Sher (Sanga & Veer) def. two jobbers

Cody Rhodes promo on Brock Lesnar ahead of their Night of Champions match

Raquel Rodriguez def. Chelsea Green

Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) def. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn after interference from Imperium, which had been instigated by Paul Heyman doing deals with Judgment Day and Imperium earlier in the night

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• Nick Khan
• Smackdown
• wwe

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